I said “just”.
If you had asked me five years ago, I would have said “extremely satisfied”. But about three years ago my career stalled, and about a year ago it collapsed entirely.
The good parts are my wonderful family, and that I saved enough during the good years that I probably could retire now if I had to. But I don’t really want to.
Less than. I’ve been job hunting for a while with no luck; there are brief moments where I find a new contact and it sounds promising, but none of those have gone anywhere. I’m perpetually single and seem to lack the skills for any sort of fulfilling romantic relationship.
My job irritates the crap out of me on a daily basis, and my tiny flat is badly constructed. But I’m more contented than I’d ever expected to be, which does rather hinge on my adorable wife. I really started to cheer up about things before I met her, ten years ago when I turned thirty. My life up to then was like a very tiring, angsty Radiohead song or something. My only regret is that I couldn’t have been happier earlier.
I am content. My life has had its ups and downs. I would have liked to have had a family and been a father but it was not to be; being an uncle is awesome and I am content with that. I have a decent income for a singleton. I am not rich but financially comfortable, and I am content with that.
Just. If I were to have a coffee with my 26-year old self, I am sure he’d be disappointed with me. Back then, I had big dreams of world travel and cool adventures and possibly living and working in many countries. I was excited about my future and what may happen next. I had time and energy, but no money. Somehow, I ended-up on the corporate treadmill and have achieved middle-management without much to show, career-wise. On the bright-side, I have had a steady income and have not experienced a long period of unemployment stress, so things have been stable for my family. That stability is the trade-off for doing a job I don’t have any passion for. Now I have the money, but cant seem to find the time to chase those dreams.
I wish my marriage were better, but at least I have flexibility to invest time in some hobbies and activities that provide relief from the endlessly mundane, and my teenage kids are both doing well in their lives so far. So, Just.
Just.
But it beats the soul-sucking experience of being trapped in a loveless, shitty marriage.
I’m 55 and hope that I can have 20 good years ahead of me, after having 20 shitty years behind me.
I have some really great friends who I’ve known for decades, and siblings and family who are supportive, but I never saw myself in this position at my age.
It beats being dead though.
I voted Less Than, but only because I thought voting Not at All would be fatuous, considering how much worse it could be.
I’d expound, but I’m depressed as it is.
More than.
I’d have been able to say Extremely if we hadn’t made some dumb financial decisions and bad choices in the early years of our marriage. We got past the bad stuff and things are mostly good, but I still occasionally kick myself over the “If only…” thoughts from time to time. As with many things, it could have been a lot worse, but with little effort, it could have been better. Ah, the folly of youth!
Just
I’m ok with where I am now, though hard to say I would recommend following the path through life that I have taken.
Meh
No one is going to be surprised by this: Not At All
56, it’s not getting better and I’m sure that’s my fault too.
Of course it can always be worse, I could be living in Kansan.
Not at all.
I finally have a part-time job so I can, along with disabilty, support myself for now. I’m very reliable, so my boss would be very worried if I didn’t show up and could not be contacted. I’ve started leaving my keyless deadbolt unlocked so my landlady could open the door in case of a wellness check. That’s for the sake of my cat. I’m too ashamed to tell my siblings, but from time to time, worrying about her is the only thing that keeps me going.
My main goal in life is to spare my family any more pain as long as I can.
Indeed. I’ve often been thankful that I’m not living in California. shiver
I was recently at a family reunion. A cousin and I stood near each other & looked across our families. She leaned over and said, “Who would’ve ever guessed that you & I would become the pillars of this family?”
All of the successful members are gone.
Extremely. I am retired and, while not wealthy, am saving more than I spend. I have a wife of 53 years whom I love intensely and who loves me, I have three wonderful and productive kids, 6 amazing grandchildren. I have over 100 published papers and three books and I think I have made a difference in my chosen field of mathematics. I could never have imagined this when I graduated from HS, having no money to go to college and having won no scholarships. That was 1954. In 1964 I married, but just over a year later, I had a heart attack and could not have imagined I would be looking back on all this 52 years later with such satisfaction.
I have never had super high expectations. Like, when I was a kid, I didn’t fantasize about what I would do or have as an adult. The idea of me being an adult kind of freaked me out, I think. When I was in high school, I began to envision myself in the role of a drifter living in a van down by the river. A part of me was really into the idea. But I think deep down I was setting a low bar for myself so that I wouldn’t be disappointed.
My life is nothing like that, and I’m so glad. I have a really great job. It challenges me enough so I don’t feel like I wasted my time going to school for so long, but I am also really good at it–which makes me feel useful. I’ve managed to make true friends over the past few years, despite being a socially isolated weirdo for a long time. I have the material benefits of a middle class existence–a cool car, a charming home, plenty of leisure time. Most importantly, I have my health. Yeah, I went through a bad patch with mental illness, and I am still coping with an annoying tic disorder. But I walk six miles a day. I haven’t been sick in ages. I don’t wake up in the morning with any aches or pains. I know this won’t last forever, but I feel damn lucky that I still feel youthful.
There are a lot of ways that I fall short of “normal”, but I don’t feel like I’m missing out on much.
More than. The best part of my life is my family–my wonderful wife, my two amazing kids. And I’m basically doing what I’m cut out to do for work–teaching is a pretty fitting career for me.
But I teach in a dysfunctional system a lot of the time. The people I work with are great, but there’s way too much foolishness in the bureaucracy. And the stories of some of the kids I work with are heartbreaking and enraging.
Fix the system, and I’ll change my vote to the top level.
I tend towards “just” but rounded up to “more than” in part cause that’s just the way I am. Basically, my life has worked out pretty much the way I envisaged it as a child with out any real planning or conscious effort on my part. It could be better, but it could be much much worse.
I have had a great career, not the one I expected though. My 42 year old marriage just keeps getting better. My kids are successful in their careers. I have three adorable grandkids. And Mrsin and I are financially independent and want for nothing.
Not bad for a girl growing up in the “bad” neighborhood.
deleted, dumb internet
I am good. I am just a glass half full kinda person. My life is fun, mostly! I am just now having the empty nest kinda feelings, with my baby off to university! But she is happy, so I am happy. My older kids are successful in their endeavors. Husband seems happy, Running up to retirement. So we good!